FACTS

1. Irrigation System Accidents

• Electrical Contacts/Accidents
• Contacts/Entanglements with Moving Parts
• Chemical Exposures/Poisonings
• Falls from the System
• Drowning
• Physical (Head, Eye, Ear, Hand & Foot) Accidents

2. Typical irrigation accidents fall into the following categories or combinations including:

• Faulty Equipment and/or Installation by manufacturer, dealer or installer.
• Equipment/Installation correct but modified or poorly maintained by owner (state of disrepair).
• Unsafe work practices by individuals during maintenance, repair and testing.
• Many irrigation systems are tall enough that falls from their structure can cause serious injury or death.
• Depending on where a person falls from the system, they may make contact with structural members and other sharp objects during the fall.

STATS

Irrigation System Accidents

Potential accidents caused injuries and deaths by working around irrigation systems:

• 35% Electrical Contacts/Accidents
• 10% Contacts/Entanglements with Moving Parts
• 5% Chemical Exposures/Poisonings
• 26% Falls from the System
• 13% Drowning – Physical (Head, Eye, Ear, Hand & Foot) Accidents

Irrigation Hazard – Fuel Ignition

• There were 15 irrigation pipe-associated (IPA) electrocutions among farmers and 15 among farm workers. The average age of farmers who suffered IPA electrocutions, 33.2 years, was less than the average age of farmers whose electrocutions were not associated with irrigation pipes, 48.9 years. Among persons less than 20 years old, IPA electrocutions were more common than any other type of electrocutions.
• 93 % of the IPA electrocutions occurred as compared with only 61 % of other types of electrocution.